“Hustlers” – Movie Review

“This city, this whole country, is a strip club. You’ve got people tossing the money, and people doing the dance.” – Ramona Vega

The movie “Hustlers”, released in 2019 and written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, based on New York magazine’s 2015 article “The Hustlers at Scores” by Jessica Pressler, details how in life, even stripping, is just as hard of a job as any other. 

The main actress in the movie, Destiny, played by Constance Wu, narrates her life of being a New York City stripper trying to make a living, while also taking care of her elderly grandmother. But one night, everything changes when she meets Ramona Vega, played by Jennifer Lopez.

While going up to the roof for a smoke break, Ramona sees Destiny. She notices Destiny shivering and offers to share her fur coat to keep her warm. They then start talking and joking around, leading to both girls becoming great friends. This movie is a clear representation of how stripping is just as hard of a job as any other hard working job, and it really highlights the struggles all these women have to go through day-by-day, while detailing the support that this community gives each other. 

If you’re a person who likes comedy and drama, this is the kind of movie for you. “Hustlers” is very funny and humorous, but also emotional and deeply descriptive throughout the entirety of the movie. 

This movie shows a lot of pervasive sexual material, drug content, language, and nudity, which is why it’s such an eye-catching movie. It is not only because of the movie’s content, but also the strength of the actors and how they portray the real lives of strippers.. 

In the end, the movie shows you the realities and different perspectives of women in the entertainment industry; mainly how it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally degrading to work in this industry.

Many may make assumptions about how stripping is not really a job or that it’s something women end up doing because they flunked out of school. However, they will find this film to be a learning experience, as we follow the lives and decisions of these fascinating characters in the nightlife industry.